DUNCAN, Okla. – It took just 30 minutes for Halliburton Employees’ FCU to fund the first $500,000 of its 0.99% Valentine’s Day loan special.

PORTLAND, Ore. – OnPoint Community CU, founded as Portland Teachers Credit Union, will award $40,000 to local educators and their schools, including paying the mortgage for two teachers for one school year, as part of its annual OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education contest.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan credit unions will mark the oncoming awarding of their annual $100,000 Save to Win prize by giving out 10 $10,000 savings prizes during the “Week of Winning” statewide tour.

State-chartered credit unions here no longer face the specter of two separate exams now that the North Carolina regulator and NCUA have agreed to work together again.

NEW YORK-What is one of credit union's biggest competitors up to when it comes to online initiatives?

Plain Language Guidance Is On Its Way, Says CFPB

Summit CU has opened what it is calling an "Inspiration Branch".

With multiple loan categories growing more than 10%, 2012 was another solid year at Randolph-Brooks FCU.

MADISON, Wis.-Credit unions are being urged to reach out to members for a new national savings lottery, Save Your Refund Sweepstakes, which will reward one tax saver with a $25,000 grand prize.

A lawsuit involving more than a dozen Wisconsin CUs has gained an additional element with a new suit alleging accounting malpractice.

For credit unions to improve non-interest income this year, or just keep to keep that line item flat, they will need to focus on several key areas-including overdraft fees and new fees charged for the CU's service and expertise, according to one person.

A longtime member of St. Helen's Community FCU filed suit against the $160-million credit union last week, claiming the incumbent board and management rigged last year's vote to recall a majority of the board.

Surprised at the absence of such solutions to date, one analyst anticipates more CUs-especially smaller credit unions-will have to find partners to deliver on social media in 2013.

goDough Solution Expands

There exists a correlation between the immediacy of texting and mobile banking and the declining usage of e-mail and online banking. Not surprisingly, more and more credit unions are enhancing respective mobile offerings.

The social media phenomenon has spawned the need for organizations to employ social intranet solutions, a trend that is growing in the financial services industry.

There is seemingly a never-ending pool of third parties offering technology solutions for critical services. But a number of credit unions continue to report having a hard time finding the right fit, especially when it comes to customer relationship management (CRM) software.

In an effort to enhance the member experience, Cabot & NOI Employees Credit Union embarked on finding a virtual, secure way to handle signatures on important documents.

Perhaps the biggest technology decision a credit union can make is undertaking a core conversion. While there are longstanding, brand-name providers in a market that has been seeing consolidation, new competition is emerging.

While hosting informational videos on a website was once considered pricey, decreasing bandwidth and production costs have created new opportunities and offerings within the credit union industry.